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vidimus

Vidimus is a Latin verb form meaning “we have seen” or “we saw.” It is the first-person plural perfect indicative of videre, the verb “to see.” In classical Latin, vidimus occurs as a straightforward narration of observation, but it also entered other registers through its use in legal and documentary language.

In medieval and early modern documentary practice, vidimus commonly appears as part of witness attestations in

In palaeography and archival studies, vidimus is used to describe a note or stamp indicating that a

Beyond its literal meaning, vidimus survives as a historical term within Latin documentary practice. It reflects

charters
and
legal
instruments.
The
phrase
signals
that
the
document
has
been
presented
to
the
witnesses
and
that
they
have
seen
or
examined
its
contents.
The
exact
formula
and
placement
could
vary
by
region
and
period,
and
the
word
was
sometimes
abbreviated
in
manuscripts
or
cited
alongside
the
names
of
witnesses.
particular
person
or
office
has
seen
a
document
or
a
copy
of
it.
Such
attestations
help
establish
a
chain
of
custody,
authenticity,
or
jurisdiction
for
copies
and
transcriptions.
The
term
is
primarily
encountered
in
discussions
of
historical
documents
rather
than
in
everyday
modern
Latin
usage.
a
broader
habit
of
explicit
witnessing
and
verification
in
legal
and
administrative
contexts
of
the
past.
While
not
a
technical
term
in
contemporary
law,
it
remains
a
recognizable
indicator
in
the
study
of
medieval
and
early
modern
manuscripts.